4-H Youth Development

Animal Science

"There is an old expression that summarizes the philosophy of 4-H; we are raising blue-ribbon kids, not blue-ribbon animals."

The under-lining purpose of all 4-H project education (including animal science) is positive development of life skills and personal growth that benefit youth so that each 4-H club member will become a productive and contributing member of society.

Many youth have a natural interest in animals, and since a broad range of animal species are encompassed in animal science projects, animal science is the largest portion (41% or about 2.4 million youth) of the 4-H Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) Program.

The educational purpose of these projects is to teach youth how to feed, fit, care for and evaluate animals or animal products. However, the more important purpose is to provide an opportunity for personal growth and development. Regardless of the club member's preference, each project offers many similar opportunities that develop life skills in youth. 4-H always offers:

Fun and Exciting Experiences — the joy of making new friends through club meetings, county activities, state events and national programs

Challenges — the responsibility of caring for an animal and learning about production, management, nutrition, health, training, grooming, showing and ethics

Life Skills — the understanding of citizenship, leadership, self-respect, coping, decision making and caring for others that leads to a positive and productive life

In 4-H, all of these aspects come together to form the foundation, ultimate purpose, or major goal of providing opportunities for young people to develop character. The Josephson Institute of Ethics has identified six "Pillars of Character" in its nationwide Character Counts! Program. These six core values (trustworthiness, respect, responsibility, fairness, caring and citizenship) better describe and link the value of 4-H animal science projects with the positive development and growth of life skills.

Brochure:

Nevada 4-H Animal Science Project Information

Materials and resources for the subjects listed below can be obtained by simply clicking on the respective name. It is important to note the information obtained may be from National 4-H or another State 4-H Program. Regardless of the source, it is applicable for Nevada 4-H.